Calif. Schools Liable for Sexually Abusive Teachers

School sex abuse lawsuits just got a whole lot easier to file in California.

The state's highest court has ruled that parents and students can sue school districts for negligently hiring, retaining and supervising abusive employees.

The ruling involves the 2007 molestation of a 15-year-old boy by a female guidance counselor at Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita. The school district argued that its administrators could not be held responsible for the woman's actions as they were outside the scope of employment. The California Supreme Court unanimously disagreed.